News

Sam Hornish Jr. – Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger
Subway Fresh Fit 500
Phoenix International Raceway
April 12, 2008

News and Notes
• Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, posted a 32nd place finish last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. As a result, the No. 77 team advanced back into the top 35 in owner points, now ranked 34th. Hornish Jr. is also 34th in the 2008 driver points standings.
• Hornish Jr. is currently second in the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, trailing Regan Smith by one point.
• Hornish Jr. has a total of three short-track starts in NASCAR Cup Series competition with an average start of 19.6 and an average finish of 29.0.
• In the IndyCar Series, Hornish Jr. has a total of six starts with two wins, three top-five and five top-20 finishes at Phoenix.
• Phoenix International Raceway is the site of Hornish Jr.’s first IndyCar Series win (3/18/01), his NASCAR Cup Series debut (11/11/07) and his first race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (11/11/06).
• Penske Racing is just two wins shy of reaching the milestone of 300 victories across a variety of racing series, including NASCAR Cup, the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series, among others.

Upcoming Events
4/20/08:  Hornish Jr. and the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental team will head south of the border for the NASCAR Nationwide Series road course event in Mexico City, Mexico.

5/23/08:  The annual Penske Racing Fan Fest will be held at the Penske Racing Headquarters in Mooresville, N.C. 

Chassis Chatter
PRS-562: This weekend’s the Mobil 1 team is bringing a new race car to Phoenix.
PRS-553: The backup car was last driven by Hornish Jr. at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 2008. Hornish Jr. qualified 33rd and finished 25th in that event.

Sam Hornish Jr. on Phoenix International Raceway
“I’ve had a lot of success at Phoenix International Raceway and have had a lot of ‘firsts’ here in Indy car and NASCAR competition. It's been a great place for me to be able to come out here and to run.

“I think the thing you see different about this track than most other ones is both ends are completely different. They're really not anything alike. A lot of times this track is a compromise, you're compromising one end or the other to make your car do what you want it to do. Very seldom do you ever get the car where it's really good on both ends.”

Crew Chief Chris Carrier on Phoenix International Raceway
“Phoenix International Raceway is a tricky place to race. The two corners are different from each other so you have to focus on which part of the track is most critical. I feel it’s one of the more difficult places we run because you have to bring a complete package and anticipate the needs of the car.

“Phoenix is a driver’s track because it requires a lot of thought to have a successful run there. Sam (Hornish Jr.) made his first-ever NASCAR Cup start at Phoenix last year, and my understanding is that he did very well and was competitive. Our goal is to be smart and be in the top 35 heading into Talladega.”

2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Standings
Position   Driver                    Points
1.           Regan Smith            68
2.           Sam Hornish Jr.        67
3.           Dario Franchitti         61
4.           Patrick Carpentier     39
5.           Michael McDowell      18
6.           Jacques Villeneuve     1